Allan's Betrayal Revisited
by chlomoe12
Summary: This is a one-shot where I revisit the confrontation between Allan and Robin in episode 5 of series 2. This time around, Allan does a better job of explaining his actions to Robin and Robin behaves a little more like I think Robin Hood should. No slash. Slight bit of humor at the end. Follows the episode until about half way through their conversation.


**Author's Note: No copyright infringement is intended. Anything you recognize belongs to the BBC. I do not have a beta reader so sorry for any mistakes.**

**This is a One-Shot from Episode 5 of Series 2 (*Spoiler* I thought Allan handled the confrontation with Robin quite poorly and thus it was sort of his own fault he got banished from the gang.) This story contains a bit of spoilers so if you haven't seen this far into the show you probably shouldn't read it. I also apologize for anything that is here that maybe hadn't taken place in the canon yet. I've watched all three series over the last two weeks so some of the order is jumbled up in my head but I'll do my best to stick to canon order. **

Allan A Dale entered the tavern hesitantly. He knew money was waiting for him, Gisborne's money, but he wasn't sure he wanted to take it. Sure he had only given away small secrets, ones that wouldn't harm the gang, but he still didn't feel right about it. He decided that this was the last time. He was going to tell the barmaid to keep the money for herself and to tell Gisborne that he was done. He couldn't be a traitor anymore.

The plan was on course. That was until an arrow was shot into the money bag sitting on the table. It was Robin's arrow. As Robin Hood stalked in through the door, Allan was filled with a plethora of emotions. He felt sadness, a slight bit of anger, but mostly guilt and disappointment in himself. He knew it was plastered across his face.

"You're early." Allan said. "Leave us." Robin said. "Stay there." "GET OUT!" Robin bellowed. The barmaid slunk out of the room. "I need to talk to my spy." Robin said as he stared into Allan's eyes. Eyes filled with guilt and a bit of surprise.

"What was that with Will? You banished Will." "It was an act. Only she knew who was guilty." Robin replied in anger. "I knew the spy would want to come back before me, cover his tracks. For all I knew it could have been Will standing there. But it's not. Is it?"

"Robin, this was the last time I swear. Ask her, I was giving it up."

"Then what is this?" Robin spit at him. "I was giving it back I promise. I didn't want any more to do with it. It was wrong. I was wrong." Allan said solemnly.

"Bloody right you were wrong! How could you? After everything I've done, the gang has done for you!" Robin raged.

"That's easy to say from your vantage point! You don't understand Robin, you've never understood. When this is all over, when King Richard returns, everything goes back to normal for you. You get Marian, you get your lands back, and you'll be a noble again. And I'll go back to what I always was, a low-life. A liar. A pickpocket. And what will I get in the long run? I'll end up like my brother. Pick the wrong person, a Gisborne so to speak, and end up hanging in the gallows. I had to take care of something for myself!"

"Are you that thick?!" Robin bellowed back. "Are you really that thick to think I would let you guys down after all we've been through? Yeah things will change when King Richard returns. For one we won't be sleeping in the woods anymore, but you all will still be my gang, my band of outlaws. I had planned for Richard to pardon you all, for services to the King. I would take back my lands, but I would have made sure you and everyone else was provided for. I wouldn't have let you back on the streets, gambling and pickpocketing for your next meal. What kind of a person do you think I am Allan? Do you really think so little of me?"

Robin looked directly into Allan's eyes after his speech. But what he saw surprised him. He expected more guilt and anger, but he found only sadness, tears, and mostly fear. Allan looked terrified. "Why are you scared now? Scared of what would have been if you hadn't betrayed us?!"

"No," Allan croaked. "Just sad, that I didn't have the option for that choice."

"And what do you mean by that?" Robin said with a hint of malice. "You weren't there. You wouldn't know." Allan replied.

"What wouldn't I know?" Robin replied through gritted teeth. "Everything, you miss everything. You couldn't save Tom! And you couldn't save me…"

"I tried to save your brother! There was no way I could've known they would move the execution up! They had never done that before! And what do you mean I couldn't save you? The gang and I have always come to your aid when you needed it. Don't you remember the first time we met? I saved your hand as well as your neck that day."

"But that's just you Robin; you remember your glory, your success, but what about us, what about me?"

"You want a bit of the pride aye? What do you think this is?" Robin gestured to their Outlaw necklaces. "Being a part of Robin Hood is the pride. We help those who cannot help themselves. We give people hope everyday Allan! What more do you want?"

"Security. I want security. I want to know when I lay my head down at night that someone isn't going to come in a kill me during the night. I want to know that when I wake up in the morning I won't have to steal or gamble for a loaf bread or a bite of meat. I want to know that…" Allan choked up on the end of his sentence.

"What Allan? You want to know what?" Robin could see and feel the fear radiating off of Allan. "I want to go to sleep and know that I'll never be tortured again. That no one will ever hurt me again."

"Allan, what are you talking about? Torture?"

"Exactly Robin, this is what I've been talking about. You don't even realize what I've been through. Why I've done the things I've done."

"Well tell me. I can't understand if I didn't even know about it in the first place."

Allan shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Gisborne."

"What about Gisborne?" Robin said.

"He caught me that day in the tavern. The day I came back bruised and beaten up. I lied when I said I'd gotten into a fight. He didn't know me personally, but he knew I was one of your men. He offered to make me a deal at first if I would admit my allegiance. I tried to lie and say I was my brother, so that he would let me go, but I failed. He had the jailer tie me up against a wooden beam. And the jailer beat me, punched me, hit me until I couldn't see straight. All the while you guys were gallivanting around Nottingham while I stood strung up waiting to die. Gisborne came back a bit later. He was going to have me killed. But he told me that the only way he wouldn't was if I became his spy. Told him bits of information."

"He spun his story to play on my weakness. He knew I was worried about my future, so he offered money. But he knew that I didn't want any harm to come to you guys as well. We merely agreed that I would tell him if he needed a few more guards or if he needed to reroute a convoy." At this Allan began to cry. "I promise Robin, I never told him anything that could hurt the gang. I told him minor things that meant maybe we'd collect a few less coins, but I never told him anything that really mattered! He was going to kill me, I had no choice!"

"Everything is a choice Allan! Everything we do." Robin spat at him. "Why didn't you tell us before? We could have handled it, planned what you were to say so you didn't get killed, or we could have protected you. But instead you chose to try and handle it yourself. And look where it has gotten you. I ought to banish you for what you have done."

Robin turned his gaze to the wooden floor beneath him. "You forgave Roy." Allan whispered out of earshot. "What did you say?" Robin hissed. "You forgave Roy. How could you forgive him and not me? He tried to kill you."

"They had his mother!" Robin replied. "They had me!" Allan returned. "Roy was different."

"How?! He still betrayed you! He tried to kill you! I only told a few harmless sentences!"

With that Robin grabbed Allan by the shoulders. He got within inches of Allan's face and said, "It is different because of this. Roy had only known us a few days. In the wake of losing everything he had left, he acted poorly, made the wrong decision. But he couldn't betray a relationship that wasn't there. You Allan, how long have you been a part of this gang? Over a year now. And yet you still chose betrayal."

"What can I do Robin, to make you understand why? I wouldn't have ever told anything that could have hurt you or the gang."

"And how can I trust that Allan? You've been lying from the first instance I met you. How do I know that you are telling me the truth now?"

"I swear on my life…" "Not good enough Allan!"

"I swear on Marian's life…" "Worse Allan, much worse!"

"I swear on my brother's eternal salvation…" He paused. "That I am telling you the truth."

Robin took a deep breath as he processed what had just occurred. "Allan, I still cannot trust you after what you have done. But I do not want you to die. You will continue to report to Gisborne, but only what I tell you to tell him. And if you do not stick to what I say, I will kill you. But if you do not do a good enough job of convincing Gisborne that I am still in the dark about you as a spy, then I'm sure he will kill you as well."

"Thank you Robin…" "I'm not done yet. You will take every last coin that Gisborne has given you, and every one you receive from here on out, and give it back to the poor, where it belongs." Allan took a breath to speak but Robin gave him a glare that shut him up. "And you will trust that I will take care of you and the rest the gang when King Richard returns. Are we clear?"

"Yes Robin." "Good." With that Robin turned to head out of the tavern, Allan trailing about two paces behind him. "Robin?" "Yes Allan?"

"I'm not being funny, but what are we going to tell the others?"

"We are not going to say anything. You are going to explain yourself to the gang as you have to me. I will tell them not to kill you, or injury you greatly."

"But I'm sure it will be fun to watch Little John beat you with that stick of his." Robin said with a smirk. Allan let out an uneasy chuckle, not entirely sure if Robin was kidding or not.

"I'm not being funny, but are you being funny?" Robin let out a hearty chuckle. "Not in the slightest Allan, not in the slightest." The pair walked in silence towards Sherwood Forest.


End file.
